Toddler Scarecrow Costume

November 8, 2017

So, whether you’re looking to DIY a costume for Halloween because you’re a DIY addict like myself or are on a budget looking for cheap materials then you’ve come to the right place! For my son’s second year of halloween, I’ve dressed him up as a scarecrow! I personally find so much joy in making his costumes as opposed to going to a halloween spirit shop to buy them. If I’m being honest, I’ve never been impressed with any store-bought costume. There are a couple few I’ve come across and thought, “Aw, that one is so cute,” but they have always lacked the authentic homemade costume feel that I’m looking for.

Last year, my son Drew was a baby version of Harry Potter, and that costume was inspired by his neutral owl themed nursery. The creation of a fictional character just worked well with the entire theme we had going in his bedroom. Plus, that was the same year I was taking his monthly photos next to an owl on his rocking chair. So, why not, right? This year, however, I was inspired by Pinterest and was not looking to recreate another fictional character; I was looking for a costume that everyone could relate to the autumn weather. Eventually, it hit me that he should be a scarecrow. Because his costume had all of my personal touches, no one asked if he was the fictional character from the Wizard of Oz.

I purchased everything under twenty dollars, but a lot of the supplies were already in my closet from previous craft ideas.

Supplies:

Denim overalls

Plaid shirt

Sheets of fabric

Burlap Natural jute twine

Raffia Hot glue gun with extra sticks

Scissors Safety pins

Empty toilet paper roll

Eye-liner pencil (color varies)

The Wardrobe:

I was on the hunt for a plaid shirt that looked rugged so I went to a shop that sold kids clothes that were gentled used for a cheaper price. The shirt cost me less than four dollars, and it was in excellent condition!
The overalls I also found at the same store were from a popular children’s brand but at a significantly reduced priced. I wanted denim overalls that looked like they could be worn down and not too dark (or overly faded).
I took the plaid shirt to a local craft store to find the matching fabric. I had someone cut me four inches of fabric so I could cut them into squares and safety pin them on the pants as patches. I also found a bundle of burlap squares pre-cut (but I ended up cutting them down even more) so they could be applied as patches.
I only used one fabric of choice along with burlap, but you can use two to three patterns. I recommend the fabric sheets (squares) match the plaid shirt. For personal preference, I avoided using faux flowers and leaves because it did not match the color scheme of the plaid shirt. However, it is solely up to you if you want to include additional materials.
I did hot glue raffia in all of the pockets because it needed to look like hay was coming out of the costume, but most importantly, my toddler would have yanked the straws right out if I hadn’t! There was also raffia hot glued to the bottom of the overalls in the inside, and after drying, the straws were cut to a shorter length.

The Hat:

I knew creating the hat was going to be my biggest challenge. I had no idea where to start. A worker at the craft store recommended I buy a bucket hat and take a large burlap sheet and cover it. I had a bucket hat in my house and we did cover it at first. The most challenging was getting a cone-shaped top so we safety pinned a toilet paper roll vertically on the top of the bucket hat then used the burlap to cover the hat. I had jute twine to help secure the burlap in place, but the hot glue helped keep down any pieces of burlap from bunching up. I wanted the circumference of the hat to have a smooth finish with a pointy top. I cut off any excess burlap and pulled on the burlap to give it that worn down, stringy-affect at the ends. Eventually, we realized the hat looked better without the bucket hat underneath so we slowly removed it and with the hot glue and jute twine, the shape of the hat remained intact.

The Makeup:

If you’re wondering how the patchy nose was drawn on so well then here’s a helpful tip: draw on your kid(s) during nap-time! Once they wake up, just make sure they don’t rub the make up off! I did use black for the triangle-like outline then filled it in with red to match the plaid shirt and finished it off with black lines to create the “patchy” look.

The Final Look:

I am so impressed with how this costume came out. My son looked super adorable and the costume itself is effortless and timeless! We received an enormous amount of compliments on this classic halloween scarecrow costume. If you’re sentimental like me then you might want to store the handmade costume into a keepsake box and share them with your little one(s) down the road along with any other costume you decide to make yourself!

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I’m a working millennial mother from Jersey who aspires to be a helpful resource to many other parents. My hope is to one day be a stay-at-home mother full-time. I have a blonde-haired two year old boy named Drew who is the mini-version of my significant other but is a momma’s boy no doubt. I also have a three month old little girl named Jade. I’m a breastfeeding advocate, DIY addict with an occasional need to binge watch the cooking channel but by no means am I the cook in my family.